Port Metro Vancouver Says "Yes" to Better Regional Transportation

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - March 11, 2015) - Today, Port Metro Vancouver announced its support of the Better Transit and Transportation Coalition in a joint media event with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the B.C. Marine Terminal Operators Association. Only a "yes" vote advances a positive plan for improvements and upgrades to reduce gridlock along trade corridors that are important to our long-term economic development.

"This referendum is about supporting local business, ensuring employees can get to work, improving our quality of life and realizing Canada's trade and economic goals," said Robin Silvester, President and CEO of Port Metro Vancouver. "The vote is one of the most important decisions facing our region for the next generation."

Port Metro Vancouver is a non-shareholder, financially self-sufficient corporation established by the federal government, and invests profits in supply-chain infrastructure to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of trade though the port.
Here are a few examples of how Port Metro Vancouver has collaborated with funding partners to invest in gateway infrastructure:

• In the North Shore Trade Area, Port Metro Vancouver invested in the Low Level Road project, improving the efficiency of port operations and increasing the international competitiveness of the region.

• In the South Shore Trade Area, Port Metro Vancouver invested in the Powell Street Overpass and South Shore Corridor Project to increase rail corridor capacity by 50 per cent, reduce congestion and eliminate road-rail conflicts.

• Along with 11 other funding partners, including local, regional, provincial, federal governments and the private sector, Port Metro Vancouver contributed to the Roberts Bank Rail Corridor Program, a $307-million investment to build nine overpasses in Delta, Surrey, and Langley.

However, the port also relies on regional investment in transportation to ensure safety, connectivity and efficient goods movement in the Lower Mainland. In the face of substantial regional population and economic growth, strategic investments in transportation are crucial to ensure livability in the region.

With a million new expected residents moving into the region by 2040 and increasing trade demands with Asia, the Lower Mainland is in need of vital investment in transportation infrastructure. Port Metro Vancouver is particularly supportive of the Mayor's Council Regional Transportation Plan focus on how goods movement can be improved along critical Lower Mainland trade corridors that connect industry and goods to port facilities.

"We are encouraging everyone, including our employees, to vote 'yes' in the upcoming referendum," said Silvester. "This referendum is about far more than transit, it's about funding regional transportation which includes the movement of people and goods. The two are completely interconnected."

To pledge your vote and join the growing coalition of more than 100 organizations, go to www.bettertransit.info and pledge "yes" for better roads, more buses and more transit options. For more information on the mayors' plan, visit www.mayorscouncil.ca.

About Port Metro Vancouver

Port Metro Vancouver is Canada's largest port and the fourth largest tonnage port in North America, responsible for Canada's trade with more than 160 world economies. Located in a naturally beautiful setting on Canada's west coast, Port Metro Vancouver is responsible for the efficient and reliable movement of goods and passengers, and integrates environmental, social and economic sustainability initiatives into all areas of port operations. Port Metro Vancouver is committed to meaningful engagement with the communities in which it operates and the shared obligation to improve the quality of life for Canadians. Enabling the trade of approximately $187 billion in goods annually, the port generates an estimated 100,000 jobs, $6.1 billion in wages, and $9.7 billion in GDP across Canada. As a non-shareholder, financially self-sufficient corporation established by the Government of Canada, Port Metro Vancouver operates pursuant to the Canada Marine Act and is accountable to the elected federal Minister of Transport.

About Better Transit and Transportation Coalition (BTTC)

The Better Transit and Transportation Coalition is a new coalition - the biggest, most diverse ever in B.C. - supporting the Metro Vancouver Mayors' Council Plan to dramatically improve transit and transportation in our region. The BTTC now has 100 organizational supporters representing hundreds of thousands of Metro Vancouver residents, including organizations from business, labour, environment, student, community, health and other groups. Learn more at the BTTC's new website: BetterTransit.info, follow us on Twitter @voteyestransit, and like our Facebook page BetterTransitInfo.